17.07.17-21 Visitando con amigos

The last time I was in Auburn was late December, right before Christmas.  I was in a state of shock over the loss of Mike. I had been receiving love and support from my local family and friends since we arrived in town six weeks earlier to let Mike relax in a house and provide a large place for family and friends to come visit. It was a very satisfying time, except for the reason we were there doing what we were doing. 

After Mike left, I had one week to fall apart, one week to plan the memorial service and one week to get my stuff organized and out of the house, get back into the Motorhome and travel to Carlsbad where my actual recovery could begin. I now know that when I left Auburn in December I was completely clueless about how deep and physical the pain of losing Mike was going to be, but I DID know that those weeks in Auburn would have been completely different and more difficult without the help and love I received from my family and friends. 

Therefore, when planning how to spend the nearly 8 weeks I had between leaving Southern California after returning from Mexico, and reporting for my next camp host duty on Sept 1 in Newport, Oregon, there was no question in my mind that I would go through Auburn and visit with as many family and friends as I could.

The four day road trip north was a good start ( see 17.07.13-17 la Calle a Sacramento).  I saw one set of friends - Roger and Michal, and one set of family: sister-on-law Kelly and her family. Her mom, Pat has adopted me as her daughter, and I am happy to have an adopted mother. 

Upon arriving in the Auburn area, the first item on my agenda was to drop off MT (aka: the Motorhome) at my local truck engine service station so they could do some routine maintenance and repairs - MT is my home and I need to keep him running smoothly! 

So I turned off and defrosted the refrigerator, put what I wanted to save in my cooler and dropped it and a very small load of non-refrigerator perishables at Kelly's house in Rocklin (very near Thunder Valley where I had stopped the night before to sleep and on the way to the truck service shop in Auburn) where they could stay out of the heat for the next 10 days while I will be living out of my car and staying with family and friends.  

While completing my transition from motor home dweller to car camper for the next 10 days, I had an emotional visit with Glenda (who is living in Kelly's house) as I got caught up on how her own family issues are progressing.

Next I dropped off MT in Auburn and then had a really enjoyable lunch date with Mary, a friend from my former business life in Auburn. Hi Mary!  I'm sorry we did not take a picture. Thanks for lunch and for the reconnection!!!

The first night out of MT I spent the with Shirley in Foresthill. Shirley's husband, Jordan, and Mike worked together for several years.  Shirley and I got to know each other as spouses on a business trip to Nice, France in 2003? We went to Shirley's favorite local watering hole for dinner and to visit with her friend Cynthia,

And had a really nice morning with kayaks on Sugar Pine Reservoir

The next three nights were spent with dear PEO sisters and their spouses.  Each house provided a VERY comfortable guest room and bed for the night, plus good catch- up conversation:

Dollie and Richard:  were interested listeners to my Mexico trip tales and we had a fun time sorting through my Mexican shopping trinkets. Dollie picked out " una tortuga hecho de Hennequen de Izamal"  (a turtle made of Hennequen from Izamal). 

Marian and Robert: took me to the LOP Sports Lounge where we met up with other PEO sisters and their BIL's for dinner. 

Then back to their house for Mexican trinket shopping - Marian chose a dream catcher with an iridescent feather and Robert got a bottle of hot sauce.   The experience of story telling related to the trinkets was fun for us all. 

Jenny and Pat:  Jenny provided yummy appetizers with wine on their lawn with a view, then we had a tasty Chinese chicken salad and got to visit with their younger daughter, Maureen who is home from an archeological dig in Montana and had some stories to tell. 

After dinner we all watched Mama Mia for some light hearted sing along entertainment. 

Then on Friday Jenny and I met up with Chris and her sister Sue.  Chris did a great job of trailering and launching four kayaks on Lake Valley Reservoir up Hey 80 near Yuba Gap for a mid day kayak adventure. Very enjoyable!

It is good to have friends!  Thank you all for hosting me, for the love and hugs, and for letting me cry on your shoulder as I re-enter Mike and my home town.